Peak Blood Alcohol Levels in Men at High Risk for the Future Development of Alcoholism

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Abstract
Studies utilizing diverse methaodologies in different populations have consistently demonstrated that alcoholism appears to be a genetically influenced disorder. One biological mechanism which could hypothetically influence the acute effects and metabolism of ethanol is the rate of alcohol absorption, a trait found to be relatively consistent for any one individual under similar conditions. This investigation tested the possibility that the magnitude of and time to peak blood alcohol level might be involved in a genetic propensity toward alcoholism with suitable controls. The study has revealed no differences in the time elapsed between oral intake and peak blood alcohol concentration and no differential in the height of the peak alcohol concentration for the two groups. The results are not consistent with the rate of absorption as an important mediator of a genetic propensity in alcoholism.